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FBI Called Me Today...
------------------------------------------------------------------ 12/23/09 EDIT- Just for all you legal experts out there with WILD imaginations here are some more details to put your over-active minds at ease. I would have provided these details earlier but I thought (and still think) they are un-necessary to the photography part of the photographers forum but I forgot how many law students we have on MM. :-) This wasn't my first conversation with the police about this matter. They did not initially contact me, I contacted them because the model had given me specific information on what had occurred. In Utah there is a law on the books requiring you to report sexual abuse of a minor if it is reported to you directly by the victim or the perpetrator. I wondered whether or not to report what she told me because I wasn't sure if what she said amounted to abuse but I didn't have to wonder long, a week later an arrest was made and at that time I contacted the police to share the information I had. The abuse this girl suffered goes well beyond the photo shoots and the photographers I mentioned. She was a victim of several crimes and several people took advantage of her propensity to continually be a victim, unfortunately. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 00000000 - that is the FBI's number, according to my caller ID. Why did they call? Well the reason can be a good lesson for any photographer shooting girls of ANY age. I did everything right, luckily, so the FBI was simply calling to find out what other photographers may have done wrong. Early in November I photographed a 16 year old girl. One week later an investigation was opened by the local police department (now turned over to the FBI) on reports that photographers had taken inappropriate photographs of her. At least one person is already in jail and a couple others are being investigated. Without giving personal details I will just say that the model in question (the 16 year old girl) may have led some of the other photographers to believe that she was over 18 and subsequently they took age inappropriate photos of her... whether they actually knew her age or not is something I don't know for sure. When the FBI agent questioned me one of the first things he asked is if I knew how old she was, when I answered YES he seemed slightly surprised. I went on to explain to him that she didn't volunteer the information, in fact, she kind of led me to believe that she was older at first, but when I let her know that I require a photo ID before the shoot proceeds she fessed up and told me her real age. Fast forward two months later and she received legitimate permission from her parents and the shoot proceeded. She has an amazingly exotic face and I loved the photos. When I found out that an investigation was ensuing I became VERY glad that I did things by the book... a few other photographers are going to have to learn the lesson the hard way though. Moral of the story. Check photo IDs and verify ages for ANY style of shoot for any girl. If they are under 18 I require a notarized copy of the model release with their parent's signatures. These two things will ensure that you are protected in case something crazy happens. For all of those that claim that you just don't shoot 'under-aged' girls it would behoove you to realize that the photographers in question most likely DID think they were shooting a girl over 18. Dec 22 09 05:28 pm Link FWIW, I'm guessing that this has nothing to do with 2257, but instead involves established law concerning minors. Dec 22 09 05:33 pm Link WOW - thats scary... ...even scarier...i got a call from a 000-0000 number before. HMM....lol Dec 22 09 05:36 pm Link Jake Garn wrote: +1 - Always Dec 22 09 05:38 pm Link Damn thats scary. I guess the photographers are at fault but, I'm feeling like the model should get punished too. If she's leading people on that she is older then she is, I'd think that she would also have reprocussions. It is the photographers fault for not doing what you did (and bravo for what you did!) by getting id from her but, I feel that the model should be acting her age and not pretneding to be older to get 'dirty' work. I dunno.. I'm glad for you! It's scary what people do out there though! Dec 22 09 05:38 pm Link JEM model wrote: The calls I get from 000-000-0000 are always from Blockbuster looking for an overdue movie. Dec 22 09 05:42 pm Link Want to know something worse? A model who is longer on MM wanted to shoot with me--- I was told by her and her mom she was 16. Guess how old she really was? 14! and HER MOM was the one who told her it was okay to lie! ALWAYS check ID before shooting ALWAYS. Had i seen that even for the non nude shoot we were planning on doing, I would have turned around and sent them both home. not only that, but the only time they confessed to me (we never did set up a shoot) was for them to tell me they were being booted off MM, but to contact them at a different email address to set up a shoot. Neither of them could understand why the photographers objected to not being told about her real age ahead of time. Dec 22 09 05:42 pm Link good for you for going by the book! sucks for the other guys though. the girl screwed them royally, but they should've done what you did. i am sure lots more photographers will be checking ids after this  Dec 22 09 05:46 pm Link Great example of how it is VERY important to check ID's to verify age. There are those few models that are not so honest...what you did really saved your butt. Dec 22 09 05:47 pm Link I know a photog who did 5 years in the joint for ignoring this detail. I'm guessing that he didn't check ID, or more likely didn't even care. Good post! Hope people wake up and tend to this business. Dec 22 09 05:49 pm Link Dec 22 09 05:50 pm Link Naughty by Nature wrote: Wrong. Blockbuster turned you in to the FBI late movie rental task force. Get out, get out NOW! Dec 22 09 05:50 pm Link You know what I find disturbing? That you would discuss something like that with someone on the phone that calls you without previous arrangement and identifies them self as an FBI agent. They could come to you; or you could go to see them; but either way you would have been better off not saying shit until and unless you physically saw their identification and badge. [ring][ring][ring]Hello? [on the other end] Hello, my name is Donald Duck and I am a Postal Inspector. I need to ask you some questions about a letter you mailed last month. [you] Uh... you can come and see me or I can come and see you. Good bye. [click] DUH!!!! Studio36 Dec 22 09 05:50 pm Link Things are weird here. Let me ask some questions ... 1. Why did the FBI call you, rather than investigate you secretly and then raid you? 2. Why was it the FBI and not the local police? 3. If this was only November, how could they already have other photographers in jail, in that short of a period of time? 4. Who does anyone know who has ever taken the time and expense and interruption to have a model release notorized by a notary, and what would the notary be checking? Dec 22 09 05:50 pm Link studio36uk wrote: Law enforcement generally don't make phone calls of an investigative nature. Dec 22 09 05:53 pm Link Curious. Does anyone know of, or have experience with, getting a photo ID that was fake and had anything come out of that? Who is responsible? The model for misrepresentation or the photographer for not having a system of checks in place to verify the seemingly legitimate ID? Dec 22 09 05:53 pm Link Click Hamilton wrote: There's one born every minute. This one was Jake's turn. Dec 22 09 05:53 pm Link I don't care if you call me up & tell me you are GOD, I don't answer questions to people who call me on the phone. If you want any information about my clients you better show up at my door with identification. (the local cops actually like my nudes) Dec 22 09 05:54 pm Link Cherrystone wrote: EXACTLY my point. Dec 22 09 05:54 pm Link Odin Photo wrote: I always wonder about that, too. Dec 22 09 05:57 pm Link did you ask the agents why they were involved? simply taking photographs of one at any age is not a fbi issue. there must be federal violation for them to be involved. if you weren't in breach of federal law, which age of consent is not, why did they wish to speak to you? Dec 22 09 05:58 pm Link Click Hamilton wrote: Now there's an understatement. Dec 22 09 05:58 pm Link Cherrystone wrote: RGR that. Dec 22 09 05:58 pm Link This doesn't sound right. I think someone is playing you.. Did you check out the investigator's info? Dec 22 09 06:00 pm Link Jake Garn wrote: Jake, I have a whole lot of respect for you as an artist. But I also come from Utah too. Dec 22 09 06:00 pm Link Death of Field wrote: Oh poo, they don't want to see your photos shot, they just want to see photos of that arse of yours. Dec 22 09 06:00 pm Link studio36uk wrote: Reminds me of the guy who phoned Taco Bell pretending to be a cop and got the register jockey to strip search one of the customers for shoplifted merchandise. I shit you not: Dec 22 09 06:01 pm Link Lisa Levin wrote: Hey, Lisa! ... I still need your notarized model release from last Saturday! Dec 22 09 06:02 pm Link John Jebbia wrote: There have been a lot of cases like that [or similar]. Same shit different days. Dec 22 09 06:06 pm Link studio36uk wrote: Speaking of assumptions... why assume that I didn't have previous contact that let me know they were from the FBI? Just to put your mind at ease... I did. Dec 22 09 06:07 pm Link Jake Garn wrote: Cop of any stripe wants to talk to me he can come around and see me; or I can go around and see him. End of. Dec 22 09 06:09 pm Link Jake Garn wrote: Yep, next time you shoot a 6-year old girl's birthday party with the funny hats and pony rides, make sure you check her driver's license first. Then if the pony gets spooked and falls down and she gets hurt, everything is ok. Dec 22 09 06:09 pm Link Jake Garn wrote: Speaking of assumptions... why assume that I didn't have previous contact that let me know they were from the FBI? Just to put your mind at ease... I did. Good. Another thing to do is to get the agent's name and ID and then call into a phonebook FBI number and ask to speak to the agent that way. Dec 22 09 06:10 pm Link Click Hamilton wrote: 1. Because they weren't investigating me. Dec 22 09 06:11 pm Link Monito -- Alan wrote: 1 800 CALL FBI Dec 22 09 06:11 pm Link Cherrystone Law enforcement generally don't make phone calls of an investigative nature. WHAT??? Dec 22 09 06:12 pm Link Was it the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the Female Body Inspectors? With the same initials I could see where there would be confusion. Dec 22 09 06:12 pm Link StudioCMC II wrote: I'm LDS, and I'm actually highly offended by your stereotype. Dec 22 09 06:13 pm Link It's a prank, Jake. Dec 22 09 06:13 pm Link
Post hidden on Dec 23, 2009 02:03 am
Reason: not helpful Dec 22 09 06:15 pm Link |
